Multiple Choice Exams

Read the stem of the question and try to answer the question without looking at the choices.
Read the stem and each choice separately as if they were true and false (elimination
technique)

For Example:
The age of the dinosaurs ended with a change in the environment caused by

 The impact of a comet or meteor

 The arrival of humans
 The formation of the Pangaea super continent
 The industrial revolution

Carefully evaluate “all of the above”, “none of the above”, “all except” choices before
selecting them.

Watch for ABSOLUTES:

For example: always, never, none, must, absolutely, all, every time, only, invariably,
necessary.

 Underline these words once you see them

 These words usually make a statement FALSE
 Take these words literally

Watch for QUALIFIERS:

For example: seldom, frequently, usually, rarely, often, sometimes, generally,

occasionally, probably, likely, could, might, should, few, many, some, seem

 Underline these words once you see them

 These words usually make a statement TRUE
Watch for DOUBLE NEGATIVES:

 For example: “not, but, except or neither” before another negative

 Two negatives equal a positive, so make this statement into a positive one:
 “He is not unattractive” means he IS attractive”

Watch for ATTRACTIVE DISTRACTORS:

 These are words that look like the word to be defined

 For example: allusion, elusive, and illustration all resemble the word ILLUSION
but would be incorrect choices if you were looking for the word ILLUSION

Watch for UNFAMILIAR TERMS:

 These words are often included as distracters

 If you don’t know what these words mean then don’t choose them
 Underline these terms when you see them

For example:

Mass hysteria results when large numbers of people

 Believe something that is not true

 Fear an invasion of iconoclasts
 Have concomitant exigencies
 Share incontrovertible perceptions

The only time it is wise to pick answers with unfamiliar terms is when you are CERTAIN
that all the other answers are incorrect.

For example:
Jeans are always

 Dark blue
 Well worn
 Too tight
 Bifurcated
Watch for SIMILAR LOOKING ANSWERS:

 When two answers are similar looking the correct answer is often one of the two
similar looking answers.

For example:
In the brain, language functions are associated mainly with the

 Left hemisphere
 Right hemisphere
 Cerebellum
 Corpus callosum

Watch for the MOST INCLUSIVE ANSWER:

 When one answer to an M/C question is more inclusive than other answers, it is
likely to be the correct answer.

For example:
Weight is likely to vary most among a group of

 Men who are football linebackers

 Women who are ballet dancers
 People who are jockeys
 People who are college students

Watch for EXTREME NUMBERS:

o When answers are a series of numbers that go from high to low, the extreme
numbers (the highest and lowest ones) tend to be incorrect.